Vosges' Organic Wink of the Rabbit chocolates in recycled packaging. Image courtesy of Vosges.

Nevertheless, there will always be Valentine’s Day, which means there will always be some sort of resource consumption due to it as well. As much as we cringe about the waste that is hitting the landfill on the days following Valentine’s Day, what we can do is encourage lovers (and retailers) to make more sustainable purchases.

One company that we have fallen head over heels for is Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Known for its exotic yet organic ingredients, Vosges’ newest chocolates are also Rainforest Alliance certified. But, we adore Vosges for more than just its Organic Peanut Butter Bonbons (though, admittedly, they have stolen this writer’s heart).

Vosges has made a strong effort to produce a greener product and workplace. Perhaps what we have found most impressive is Vosges’ leadership in sustainable packaging. The Chicago-based company is consistently researching alternatives for its packaging and, so far, has come up with some notable options.

For example, PLA (polylactic acid), a plastic substitute made from fermented cornstarch, is used for all of Vosges’ plastic boxes and lids and can be composted. Additionally, all of the candy bar boxes are made from 100% recycled content and are recyclable as well. And those striking purple boxes that Vosges has come to be known for? They are also made from 100% recycled material, and customers are reusing them for a number of storage and organizational purposes.

Another thoughtful initiative that we just love is the partnership between Vosges and a nonprofit called Creative Pitch. Also based in Chicago, Creative Pitch partners with companies to donate their excess materials to art educators in and around the city. Through Creative Pitch’s coordination, the art educators then use these materials that would otherwise be considered trash for extremely underfunded arts programs and projects. For example, Vosges donates old display truffle boxes, parchment paper, truffle trays, tubes and ribbon from both the assembly line and its Chicago-area boutiques. Talk about a great way to recycle and upcycle!

By doing some research this Valentine’s Day, you’ll find there are more great companies out there that are taking steps to be more sustainable in their products as well as their packaging. Keep Vosges in mind, as well as other chocolate companies that we like, including Endangered Species, Dagoba Organic Chocolate and CocoaVino.

Seth Goldman

It’s been a busy year for Honest Tea’s “TeaEO” Seth Goldman since he last joined “Green is Good.” Coca-Cola has exercised its option to buy the full rights to the company, the line has completed a lengthy switch to fair-trade tea varieties and it is introducing a few new products, including a cocoa-infused beverage and a zero-calorie organically sweetened lemonade.

Honest Tea has grown by leaps and bounds in its 13 years, yes, but its original commitments as a company remain very much in place: working to make healthy, environmentally friendly drinks that skip the sugar and focus on all-natural ingredients. Still, even with its growth, Honest Tea’s focus remains to “tread as lightly on the earth as it can.”

“We have the potential, over time, to be wherever Coca-Cola products are sold,” Goldman explains. “That’s an opportunity to take our mission to a much deeper level.”

Greg Dollarhyde

A decades-long journey through the restaurant industry, from washing dishes in Southern California, to stints at TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut and Baja Fresh, brought Greg Dollarhyde to Los Angeles-based Veggie Grill. The fast-casual restaurants feature indulgent 100% plant-based fare.

The Veggie Grill’s claim to fame is its healthy slant — no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils and few sugars — that doesn’t skimp on quality or taste.

“The myth we’re trying to overcome is bland, mushy sautéed vegetables, salads and bowls,” Dollarhyde says. “[At The Veggie Grill ] you get the combination of delicious food, fair price, a great crowd of people and a menu that really works.”

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Canstruction is a creative recycling project that really does have a purpose. Not only does the charity create astonishing works of art, but also, more importantly, it is a global anti-hunger initiative. The concept is simple: Build a structure of your choice from cans of food, wait for a winner to be chosen from all the entries, exhibit the structures to the public for a week, then donate the food to local food banks. Simple? Yes, and very successful as well.

“Pac-Man” (2008)

As well as a seminal video gaming franchise, Pac-Man also had his own animated series, and for an ever-hungry hero, a canned reconstruction is a perfect match.

Since 1992, when the first building competition was held in New York City, Canstruction, the brainchild of the Society of Design Administration (SDA), has held design and building competitions in more than 140 cities across North America, Europe and Australia. It has to date donated more than 15 million pounds of canned food, thus becoming one of the largest contributors to food banks in the world. While tackling hunger and malnutrition, builders, volunteers and visitors are having tons of fun as well.

“Terasen” (2009)

WALL-E might have been looking a little rusty, but the original wasn’t actually made out of old cans… we don’t think.

“Mr. Mike” (2006)

Another Pixar hero, Mike was the green, cyclopean monster in Monsters, Inc. who made his living by scaring children until he, thankfully, reformed.

Canstructionists have taken their inspiration from a huge range of sources, but one of our favorite themes from the competitions are all the animated heroes who crop up amongst the sculptures. Whether it’s SpongeBob SquarePants or Pixar’s cartoon mascots, we can’t get enough of it! In fact, Canstruction Vancouver is holding its ninth annual building competition from February 27 to March 6, 2011 at the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminals at Canada Place; so if you’re in the area, it’s a great time to drop in! You could catch a glimpse of this year’s WALL-E, or maybe even a brand new R2, if robots are to your taste.

“R2-D2” (2006)

R2‘s claim to fame might have been the Star Wars movies, but he also pops up in The Clone Wars and, of course, the classic cartoon series, Star Wars: Droids.

The teams get two days before the official beginning of the exhibition to build their structures, which usually take around 13 hours from start to finish. That requires quite a bit of planning and logistics beforehand!

Banned items include cans that contain alcohol or pet food, glass containers, perishable food or open packages of food — because while they might make great building components, they cannot be donated onward.

“Oscar the Grouch” (2006)

Oscar the Grouch, the greatest if most miserable of The Muppets, lived in a trashcan — that’s repurposing in action!

The food cans can only be joined with tape, Velcro, wire, rubber bands or by methods that allow easy dismantling, ensuring that none of the labels are damaged.

“Concert” (2009)

Poking fun at the nuclear family life of 1950s America, Fred Flintstone was the original iconic, animated dad.

That means none of the sculptures you see here have been glued or welded together, or otherwise permanently fixed. All of them are pretty much just cans of food stacked on top of each other. If you want to find out how tough it is, try a mini sculpture at home. You may want to wear a helmet!

“Pac-Man Eating” (2008)

You might not believe it, but there really are times when Pac-Man isn’t eating…

All sculptures must be also be completely self-supporting, and any kind of framework or other structural support is banned. Thus, each team must contain at least one design professional to guarantee structural stability.

“Optimus Prime” (2008)

Combining trucks and robots, Optimus was one of the great animated heroes of the 1980s — and is still pulling in the big bucks at the box office today.

Participants have a chance to win in one of the five international categories: Jurors’ Favorite, Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity and Honorable Mentions. The five winners of all local competitions are submitted for the international competition.

“Mr. Potato” (2006)

One of the few real world toys to appear in the original Toy Story, Mr. Potato Head has seen something of a renaissance in the last decade.

In eight years, 956,505 cans of food have been used to build 147 sculptures by 24 teams. That’s a total food value of $1,913,010, or $13,013 per sculpture! In 2011, Canstruction Vancouver hopes to collect its millionth can of food.

“Poo Bear” (2008)

Winnie the Pooh, the bumbling bear, as brought to children around the world by none other than Walt Disney.

Asked about the preferred type of food used and received in the competition, Janice Podmore, Chair, Canstruction Vancouver, said: “As the food our designers prefer for their sculptures is canned fish (makes for nice small pixels of color) it is a HUGE hit for the food bank, as protein is the most expensive portion of the meals they serve. They will probably get over 100,000 cans this year alone.”

“Fluor” (2009)

Yet another Pixar icon, it’s one of Buzz Lightyear’s alien buddies, first seen in Toy Story 2.

From the examples provided here, can you guess the themes of previous years? Not quite? Here they are: “Playtime” (2006), “Books and Bites” (2008), “From Caveman to Spaceman” (2009), and “Imagine!” (2011).

Those who want to see Vancouver turn into Cancouver can visit the exhibition daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Instead of an entry fee, visitors are encouraged to bring food donations in the form of canned food. Those who would like to participate can still do so: teams can still register, though it is recommended to get all the food logistics taken care of by early February.

Special thanks to Janice Podmore and Canstruction Vancouver for information and images; all photo credits: Marina Dodis and Dave Roels.

Sources: 1, 2

Among the top concerns that parents face, pondering exactly how much sugar one miniature human body can process before it ends up self-combusting rises to the top of the list. Rather than tempt fate, many adults are prone to picking through the haul while their kiddies are fast asleep, reserving and/or squandering the good stuff while swiftly kicking any sub-par varieties to the curb. Others exercise a far more stringent approach, allowing their children to select a few treasured pieces before mercilessly dumping the remainder in a garbage can as their uncontrollably weeping progeny witness the woeful tragedy.

Then, there’s the wrapper factor. In today’s world of food-borne illness, those flimsy little protective sheaths help to ensure the freshness and safety of the sweets we eat (plus they discourage wayward individuals from tampering with them), but they’re a bane to Mother Nature. Often made from mixed plastic, which is very challenging and costly to process at recycling facilities, companies such as TerraCycle are trying to change the tide by upcycling these materials, but sadly the majority still ends up in landfills.

This year, how about employing a new Halloween resolution in order to keep the treats where they belong — in someone’s mouth rather than in a garbage pail! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1) The day after Halloween, organize a neighborhood candy swap so that everyone ends up with sweets that they’ll happily eat (instead of throwing out undesirable treats).

2) Host a post-Halloween candy potluck dessert hoe-down featuring recycled goodies and make sure that everyone brings a copy of their recipe to share. Some considerations: leftover Halloween candy pie and no-bake chocolate coconut bars topped with melted candy corn.

3) Bring excess candy to your office so that everyone (clients and colleagues alike) can enjoy an afternoon pick-me-up, or donate it to a local food bank, nursing home, college dorm, church or other charity.

4) Advertise your Halloween jackpot on the free section of Craigslist or Freecycle. Hey, if you’re not going to use it, at least let someone else have a shot!

5) Think about all of the recession-friendly gift-giving possibilities! Add chopped-up Butterfingers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, etc. to homemade chocolate bark, fudge, toffee, nut brittle, everything-and-the-kitchen-sink cookies, Rice Krispies treats, caramel corn balls or homemade trail mix, or use it to decorate chocolate-dipped marshmallows and pretzel rods. Don’t forget to stud holiday gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, cupcakes, caramel apples and “cookie pizzas” with whole and chopped candy bits.

6) Transform melted chocolate bars into a fondue or hot chocolate base, cake icing, brownie batter, decorative drizzle or coating for holiday cookies. Plus, since chocolate can be frozen for an extended period of time, it can easily become the perfect rainy day ingredient for impromptu chocolate chip cookies or Valentine’s Day treats.

7) Offer guests at your Thanksgiving dinner (or other holiday season open house event) party bags filled with color-appropriate Halloween candy or start an autumn piñata tradition filled with leftover Halloween candy, of course.

8) Reserve a secret stash of candy and offer pieces slowly but surely throughout the months to young children as a positive reinforcement tool for excellent test grades, successfully following instructions, completing chores, etc.

9) Spruce up plain vanilla ice cream with your own gourmet “mix-ins” courtesy of chopped candy, or apply the idea to a decadent milkshake or create a festive frozen ice cream pie for your holiday dessert table.

10) Reserve hard candies for arts and crafts projects or transform them into holiday decorations with a little imagination. What about stringing individually wrapped hard candies together to create a garland or gluing gumdrops to a recycled light bulb for a colorful and festive eco-holiday decoration?

12) Participate in the dentist-organized Halloween Candy Buy Back Program! After offering a respectable $1/pound to donors, dentists will send the candy payload to military troops who are stationed overseas.

Leah Ross, PR & Marketing Manager and Sustainability Manager for Border Grill, says there are many sustainable efforts in place among the locations.

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feineger. Photo by Fran Gealer.

Border Grill uses biodegradable food containers. This is part of Santa Monica’s citywide ban on polystyrene now, but they’ve been doing it since well before the ban went into effect. Border Grill is also part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program and uses only sustainable seafood. The restaurant distributes pocket seafood guides to customers in an effort to make fish like Arctic char, black cod and barramundi as appealing as salmon. I guess I’ll try the barramundi next time.

Another campaign Border Grill is part of is Oceana’s Stop Seafood Contamination campaign. Oceana is a leading international conservation organization and aims to educate the public about mercury contamination in seafood as well as to help reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment. Border Grill shows its commitment to this campaign by not serving swordfish or most species of tuna, which have high mercury content. If you see albacore on the menu at Border Grill, it’s low mercury.

Mary Sue and Susan were two of the first famous chefs to sign on to the boycott of Canadian seafood until Canada ends its commercial seal hunt. This is part of the Humane Society’s Protect Seals campaign, and their action has inspired a long list of chefs and restaurants in the United States and Canada to follow suit. I was impressed to see many Canadian restaurants are boycotting their own seafood* now, because they recognize the brutal, senseless slaughter of baby seals each year is an abomination that must be stopped. To download a pocket guide from the Humane Society on how to boycott Canadian seafood, click here.

Border Grill uses seasonal, locally grown ingredients and it never uses trans fats. The restaurant serves only organic long-grain rice, beans and coffee.

The Peruvian Ceviche Cone at Border Grill

Outside the kitchen, Border Grill is an active member of several green networking groups and often hosts events at the restaurant. I first met Leah Ross a couple years ago at an Eco Tuesday event in Los Angeles, and that was the first time I had heard of a restaurant making an overall commitment to sustainability.

Since then, the restaurant has developed a program called “Good for the Planet, Good for You” where you can choose dishes made with at least 80% plant-based ingredients. It is well known that the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas than the transportation industry, so “going veggie,” or, as Mary Sue and Susan like to say, “getting meat out of the center of the plate, and building a meal around vegetables, grains, beans, salads and fruit,” is a very powerful way to help the environment.

Finally, Border Grill has shunned bottled water that needs to be transported from around the world, and instead opts for reusable glass bottles and the Natura water purification system.

Leah says she gets a lot of positive customer response to the “Good for the Planet, Good for You” program, which was developed after she and Mary Sue both read the same article on the same day about “Meatless Mondays.” They realized if they could get enough people cutting meat out of their diet altogether or using it more as a flavoring and side dish, “it could have a huge and profound impact.”

* The most common Canadian seafood exports are snow crab, cod, scallops, shrimp, haddock, herring, perch, lobster, mussels, yellow perch, sardines, flounder, tuna, whitefish, swordfish, oysters, sole, trout and mackerel.

The National Restaurant Association is a nearly 100-year-old membership organization, and like most other businesses and nonprofits in existence today, it focuses on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. One of the sustainability arenas is food donation. To foster this process, the National Restaurant Association has partnered with Food Donation Connection (FDC).

The FDC works with restaurants across the United States as well as in Canada, the U.K. and Australia. In 2009, 7,355 participating restaurants donated 22 million pounds of food to 3,435 agencies. Some of the nation’s most popular restaurants participate in this program, including Chipotle, Cracker Barrel and The Cheesecake Factory.

While restaurant owners may be focused on reducing waste by building energy-efficient buildings, creating on-site composting and recycling programs and even reusing cooking oil to provide power to their restaurant, they also need to reduce their food waste.

According to the EPA, food scraps are one of the top three waste generators in our country. Paper accounts for 31% of the waste generated in our nation, yard trimmings make up 13.2% and food scraps contributed 12.7% of the total waste generated in the United States. This 12.7% is equal to 32 million tons of waste, and unfortunately, less than 3% of this waste was recovered, donated, reused, recycled or otherwise diverted from landfills.

Although this 32 million tons of food waste is generated from both commercial establishments and consumers, it definitely leaves a lot of room for improvement. While there are many ways for restaurant owners to donate unused food, the FDC program focuses on making the process simple for restaurant owners.

FDC has a six-step process that allows restaurant owners to safely prepare unused food for delivery to local organizations:

1. Identify the food to be donated.
2. Safely package and label food.
3. Carefully weigh the donated product.
4. Properly chill then freeze the product in a provided pan.
5. Document quantity of the product.
6. Submit logs to FDC for processing.

That’s it. When restaurants donate food, it is a win on so many levels. Waste is diverted from landfills, families in need are able to receive free meals and restaurant owners can even take a tax write-off for their donation.

For more EPA waste data, head to the EPA’s website.

Chipotle's LEED Silver restaurant in Gurnee, IL. Image courtesy of Chipotle.

A tide is turning in fast food establishments and quick-service restaurants (QSRs) throughout the country. Some of the changes are localized to particular regions of the country, while others are taking a nationwide progression toward sustainability and green practices. Supporting these establishments has never been more important. The more sustainable, green fast food and QSRs are supported, the more the green message will reach the ears of the CEOs and executives in these industries.

The most popular way fast food and QSRs become sustainable is by purchasing locally grown produce and meats. For example, Chipotle and Sellers Market (a San Francisco-based artisan kitchen) both use locally harvested food in their menu items. This is clearly a growing trend nationwide. Based on a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, more than 1,200 chefs voted that locally grown produce is the runner-up in the most popular trends for restaurants.

Other aspects of green fast food have to do with recycling options, packaging and energy conservation. Chipotle has opened a super-sustainable location in Gurnee, IL, that puts all other fast food restaurants to shame. The location makes a huge statement with its 6kW wind turbine behind the establishment. The walls in the building are made from recycled drywall and recycled barn metal and the building equipment used was Energy Star rated. All lights are LEDs, and the bathrooms are equipped with efficient faucets and toilets. Kind of makes you wish this trend would catch on a bit faster.

Evos is another big brother in the sustainable fast food industry, showing others the way. Evos, established in Florida in the early 1990s, has grown to locations in California, North Carolina and Georgia. This fast food establishment does more than just serve healthier foods — it takes a holistic approach to sustainability. The company offsets one-third of the energy in the stores with wind energy, and energy-efficient materials are used to construct the stores. Evos supports certified organic and fair trade ingredients, prints paper products on recycled paper with soy ink and offers vegetarian menu options.

Better Burger NYC is another fast food establishment you should take a look at. The company has a growing presence in New York, which means it will most likely find its way to middle America quickly. This restaurant stands out because all the meat is antibiotic-, hormone- and nitrate-free and everything is 100% meat. There are no fillers used in anything. The French fries are baked, not fried; the oils used are pure, natural oils (not hydrogenated); the buns are organic; the shakes are made from soy milk; and the smoothies are 85% organic.

One company that is serving to provide oversight to restaurants that want an official stamp of green approval is the Green Restaurant Association. The Green Restaurant Association exists to certify fast food and QSRs with a green certification if they meet certain sustainable and green criteria. The company aims uses an 11-step process to ensure a restaurant is green. Those steps are:

• Energy efficiency and conservation
• Water efficiency and conservation
• Recycling and composting
• Sustainable food
• Pollution prevention
• Recycled, tree-free, biodegradable and organic products
• Chlorine-free paper products
• Nontoxic cleaning and chemical products
• Green power
• Green building and construction
• Education

It’s about time the fast food industry took a turn for improvement. Research green food establishments in your neck of the woods and begin supporting their efforts. Every green burger you purchase is making an impact on consumer wants and trends. You no longer have to feel guilty craving a burger and fries, because now you can buy ones that are good for your health and the environment.

Mario Batali

Throughout my entire college and graduate school career, any time that I found myself outside of the classroom I intentionally spent it inside of four-star restaurants. Beyond the scent of good eats perpetually wafting through the air, the humble extracurricular pursuit of waiting on tables enabled me to chisel away at my student loans in record time.

I absorbed a great deal of food knowledge during that time period, but I also bore witness to widespread edible waste that was justified due to potential lawsuits. I recall quizzing chefs, managers and even owners as to why they were discarding mass volumes of what appeared to be perfectly good food rather than at least repurposing it or donating it to charities, and I always got the same pat response: “Too much liability… far less risky to just throw it away.”

Though my days of working the dining room may be long behind me, former University of Arizona anthropologist Timothy Jones claims that on a daily basis, America’s eating establishments regularly dispose of 6,000+ tons of food, which ultimately contributes to an annual loss of $100 billion. This is just one aspect of the wasteful mentality prevalent in the restaurant industry, but there is a hopeful green light shining on the horizon.

The newest crop of conscientious restaurateurs is embracing a far more sustainable attitude, and one in particular who is leading the way is none other than Food Network celebrity-chef Mario Batali.

What makes the self-professed “king of cured pork parts” so squeaky green? Take a gander:

• Batali’s new “Meatless Monday” proponent is now featuring specially created plant-based entrée items in all of his 14 countrywide restaurants, explaining that, “Most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet,” but since converting an entire nation over toward full-time vegetarianism is challenging, one positive planetary step we can all take is to “focus on a more plant-based diet and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably.”
• Restaurant grease from Batali’s Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles is donated to two artisans from Further Products, who refine and transform it into essential oil-scented candles, liquid hand soap and lotion.
• Bottled water is no longer offered in Batali’s restaurants — the production of the plastic and shipping of the final product both consume vast environmental resources and, despite being easily recyclable, 2.5 million PET empties are discarded every hour across the United States. Instead, they are using in-house triple-carbon-filtered NATURA water systems for an entirely waste-free option.
• The chef is working with the Green Restaurant Association to certify all of his restaurants, meaning that his establishments will adhere to more eco-friendly practices across the board, including the installation of water-efficient faucets, implementation of composting/recycling/kitchen grease reclamation programs, banning Styrofoam takeout containers, stocking restaurant paper supplies and stationery that are free of chlorine and made of 100% recycled content, using Xlerator hand dryers rather than disposable towels in bathrooms, using Energy Star appliances and establishing personal relationships with local farmers to ensure sustainable supply of food, among other eco-friendly efforts.
• A 12-foot edible vertical garden wall was installed at Batali’s Osteria Mozza/Pizzeria Mozza location, courtesy of Greenscaped Buildings, seeded with cabbage plants, various types of lettuce and herbs like mint, rosemary, parsley and sage. The Batali group was so pleased with the results that they’ve given the thumbs-up to place a second installation at one of their Las Vegas restaurants, with the strong possibility that their remaining restaurants will follow suit.

Mario Batali's Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles

Attention Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Emeril Lagasse, Rocco DiSpirito, Gordon Ramsay and company: If ever there was a time to follow another chef’s footsteps, this would be it. We know that there’s a sustainable heart beating inside of all of you, so show us what you’ve got!

Take a few minutes to visit the Home Farming website and see all the great tips this ultra-popular snack offers on planting, growing, harvesting, sharing and enjoying — in that order. Here you can also read up on the home farming movement and see all the great benefits of creating our own healthy food right in your back yard.

The most interesting feature of this website (in my opinion at least) is the ability to check in on real-life home farmers around the country. Whether it’s a new bed of seeds being planted in Santa Fe, NM, or someone’s successful harvest of fruit and vegetables in Halifax, NS, the Triscuit website offers an online community to develop your green thumb. In fact, there is even an online forum for the those revolutionary green farmers to connect and share.

But, this is all just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. For those cooped up in a tight city dwelling, there is an urban farming network just for you! And, if you’re still on the fence, another link guides the more inquisitive minds to a place where expert advice is offered by such home farming gurus as Paul James, an expert on growing greens naturally and at home.

For those of you who just need more eco-friendly focus, this Triscuit website is one that will surely perk your interest and help our planet at the same time. That’s a mighty green snack cracker, if you ask me.

What really distinguishes candy wrappers from mass-recycled items like plastic bottles is as much about the amount of attention surrounding the issue. Since candy wrappers are often just as quickly thrown to the bin as their corresponding calories are to the back of our minds, we forget that they do indeed take up some space. Since there is not one major commercial way to recycle, we environmentalists can take the call to be creative. From starting a business, to motivating your school, to making cool arts and crafts, the possibilities are endless.

If you asked Eco Fashions where you should throw a candy wrapper, the answer would be “around your shoulder,” in the form of one of their purses! The handmade specialty line is not only stylish, durable and green, but the purses are also made from a rehabilitation center that gives teenagers a second chance to positively contribute to society. The San Francisco-based company works with a rehabilitation center similar to juvenile hall in Mexico City. The teens and young adults are given a choice to do rigorous work with very low pay, or make these candy wrapper products and earn five times that amount — often enough to support the workers’ families. Many do.

Taking great effort to improve a community is nothing new to the public education system, and schools are the perfect place to gather candy wrappers. Thanks to the Candy Wrapper Brigade by Terra Cycle, anyone 18 years or older from a school or organization can join in the company’s recycling efforts by starting a group. See the site for all of the considerations you should make before starting a group. If all fails to pan out, you can still commit to projects on your own.

Take your own will to use trash and make treasure, combine it with creativity, and what do you get? You can take candy wrappers and make collages, flowerpots and more! See for yourself how you can cut, crush and glue the paper to make cool projects.

So, the next time you get a sweet tooth, indulge — in both the candy and a craft or two.

As I mentioned in my New Year’s resolutions, one of my goals this year is to join my local CSA (community-supported agriculture) program. I had never heard of a CSA until about a year ago, when my friend in Minneapolis joined one, but ever since then it’s been one of those terms that I seem to hear everywhere.

An example of a CSA bounty

In a nutshell, a CSA is a program in which residents of a given area form a relationship with a local farm. Once a week or so during the spring, summer and fall, the farmers will bring their recently harvested produce — and sometimes meat, cheese and other dairy products — to a pre-determined location in the neighborhood, and the CSA members get together to divvy up the goods. (Many CSAs operate co-op style, wherein each CSA member is required to volunteer a few hours per month to do the sorting.) Then, the rest of the members pick up their goodies— usually either a half-share or a full share (based on standards set by the community), depending on household size — and voilà!

There are many advantages of a CSA for city dwellers and farmers alike. CSA members get local, seasonal and often organic food to eat, which is better for them and the planet, since the food travels a shorter distance (from wherever the closest farm community is) and is grown with little to no pesticides or chemicals. Meanwhile, small farmers, who have been underpriced by many giant farm operations, have an outlet to sell their goods, helping them stay in business.

If you’re interested in joining a CSA, check the USDA website, which contains links to several CSA directories, or just Google “[your neighborhood] + CSA.” I, for one, can’t wait for my first delivery in the spring. I might change my tune when Brussels sprout season comes along, but for now, I’m excited!

Greg Peterson

There is something to eat in my yard every day, 365 days a year. Last Thanksgiving it was a wonderful salad of six different greens, including nasturtium leaves and sorrel (a surprise find, growing in the back “wild” area); ruby red pomegranate seeds; an incredible citrus called limequat that was sliced up skin and all for a tangy/sweet sensation; and a little bit of tarragon and fennel, with a smidge of that pretty little three-leaf clover you see growing in some yards called sourgrass. The flavors were so diverse and striking that I chose not to add any dressing at all.

I live in the heart of Phoenix, AZ, at what I now call the Urban Farm, an environmental showcase home. The site features a primarily edible landscape (including over 80 fruit trees), three different kinds of solar panels, rainwater and greywater harvesting, a remodeled 800-square-foot patio and an outdoor shower and kitchen made primarily from reclaimed materials. My intent is to present my home in a place where most people would live so that when visitors arrive they can imagine that they too could implement some of the changes I have made at The Urban Farm into their own “urban farms.”

It all started with food and my desire to garden. Over the past 20+ years I have re-landscaped my entire yard to the point that everything that I grow is either edible or supports the plants that are edible. I have planted trees that produce edible fruits and nuts; perennial herbs including basil and oregano that I use a hedge trimmer on periodically; along with the standard annual vegetables — broccoli, snow peas and cucumbers, just to name a few. Because of the name, visitors to the Urban Farm have an expectation that they will see long rows of corn and beans — a full working farm. To the contrary; much of what I grow lives in standard garden beds. If the casual passerby did not know any differently, they would just see a nicely landscaped yard.

The Urban Farm, Phoenix, AZ

Farming the city spaces around us presents a whole new paradigm for growing our own food and reigniting our connection to nature. The tools are here, and the knowledge is available. You can kindle your desire by getting your hands dirty, taking a chance and spreading some seeds. The fruits of your labor are much tastier than what you find in the grocery store and come along with the satisfaction that YOU grew them. Many people tell me of their “black” thumbs as they admire what is grown on the Urban Farm. I reflect back to them the years of experimenting that I have done, noting ALL the plants that did not live under my care, and that was how I learned.

For the past 10 years, the Urban Farm has regularly been available for tours and classes. The intent of these events is to share with visitors the different green lifestyle choices available to inspire them. Our events include classes on gardening, composting, keeping chickens, permaculture, edible landscape design, greywater and rainwater and the occasional house concert.

Greg Peterson is a green living and sustainability innovator who truly lives what he speaks. As a resident of Phoenix for the last 41 years, Greg is well versed in urban sustainability, green living and food production in dry lands. He was first introduced to desert gardening at the age of 12. In 1991, he discovered the concept of permaculture, bringing together many sustainability concepts into one cohesive system.

Greg is a writer, teacher and lecturer on many aspects of green living, sustainability and permaculture. His passion is to present the concepts so that everyone can conceptualize and implement some kind of green living concept into their lives. Greg was a contributing writer for Phoenix magazine for two years and for Edible Phoenix for three years. He is a dynamic speaker on green and sustainability topics and regularly draws hundreds of people for his “Living Green, What Does it Mean?” lectures.

For more information on these and other events, visit urbanfarm.org to sign up for our event email list.

For more information on living a green lifestyle and to find some great green products, visit YourGuideToGreen.com.

For more views of Greg Peterson’s Urban Farm, see Greg’s video or reach him at greg@urbanfarm.org.